Honoring fallen military heroes
The City of Palmdale will welcome local veterans in Poncitlán Square, 38315 9th St. East, on Thursday, July 27, at 5 p.m. to unveil the Battlefield Cross monument installed at the base of the City’s flagpole. All are invited to join the dedication ceremony for this bronze statue placed to honor the fallen military heroes of the Antelope Valley.
“This monument is a lasting tribute to those who lost their lives in the fight to ensure liberty and freedom for us all,” said Mayor Laura Bettencourt. “It also gives families a place to come to honor and remember a loved one lost in battle.”
The sculpture depicts a life-sized combat helmet resting atop a rifle stuck in the ground next to a pair of combat boots. A set of dog tags hang from the rifle, and the Battlefield Cross stands custom molded into a bronze pillar base embellished with the American Eagle.
The Battlefield Cross limited edition bronze sculpture was purchased from the Randolph Rose Collection with Measure AV funds. Alternatively referred to as the Fallen Soldier Battlefield Cross, Soldier’s Cross, or just Battle Cross, the three pieces together represent a symbolic replacement of a cross or memorial marker appropriate to an individual service member’s religion, on the battlefield or at the base camp for a soldier who has been killed.
This Battlefield Cross monument will serve as a place for residents to remember and honor a fallen service member. Selection of the statue and location was made with the support and feedback from Veteran groups who assisted in the coordination of the 2022 Healing and Honor Field, including American Legion Post 348, Antelope Valley Veterans Community Action Coalition, Coffee 4 Vets, Point Man Antelope Valley, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3000 and 3552 and Vets 4 Veterans.
